But one bride has painted herself in green, along with her husband, to hold a fairy-tale wedding based on the film Shrek, to raise money for charity.

Amanda, 44, and Nathan Gibbs, 39, planned a small ceremony after eight years together. But after losing a number of friends to cancer, the couple, who run an ironing service business, decided to dress as the fairytale couple and use the day to raise money for charity.

Dressed in full costume, the pair, from Kingswinford, wed this morning at Priory Hall in Priory Park, Dudley, West Midlands.

Guests also got involved in the themed celebrations, dressing up as the Gingerbread Man, Mickey Mouse and Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of The Caribbean.

Instead of wedding gifts, the couple asked that people donate money to Cancer Research.

Mr Gibbs said: "In the last 15 months we've lost seven of our customers to cancer. It just broke our hearts. We wanted to do something to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage more people to go and get checked out."

The former bricklayer said the couple used to joke that if they ever got married, they would have a fairytale wedding.

"It was a standing joke between us. All our friends started getting married and I said 'When we do it we'll have a fairytale wedding. I'll be Shrek and you can be Princess Fiona'.

"Earlier this year we held a fundraiser for Cancer Research and we were talking about what else we could do when Shrek came on the TV. We turned to each other and laughed."

Plans got under way for the fairytale wedding but the couple were then hit with more bad news.

"My sister Donna was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was such a shock. We were trying to do something to help others and then it happened to us."

Luckily his sister has been given the all-clear but it made the couple even more determined to raise awareness of the disease.

Mr Gibbs said: "We've had a great day today and it's fantastic to think the money raised will go towards helping to support those with cancer and their families. Also, i f this story encourages just one person who has found a lump to go and get checked out then we will have succeeded."